Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santos and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Santos: $1,132 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $48,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santos
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,132
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$5,142
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santos and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santos and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,132 per month in Santos vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Santos $1,132
  • New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $1,745 per month in Santos vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Santos $1,745
  • New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $2,359 per month in Santos vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Santos $2,359
  • New York, NY $9,767

Santos is about 78% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santos sits 16% below the global median, while New York, NY is 284% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.80 R$38.94
$26.46 $26.46
-70.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.51 R$162
$119 $119
-72.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.91 R$34.48
$14.43 $14.43
-52.11%
Cappuccino
$2.78 R$13.86
$6.55 $6.55
-57.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 R$7.05
$3.84 $3.84
-63.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 R$5.03
$3.00 $3.00
-66.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.64 R$13.17
$8.27 $8.27
-68.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 R$14.80
$10.05 $10.05
-70.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 R$5.38
$1.31 $1.31
-17.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 R$9.22
$4.90 $4.90
-62.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 R$6.91
$7.16 $7.16
-80.73%
Eggs
$2.52 R$12.56
$5.92 $5.92
-57.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.16 R$60.7
$19.06 $19.06
-36.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.91 R$24.49
$17.38 $17.38
-71.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.06 R$50.2
$18.94 $18.94
-46.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.12 R$10.60
$6.96 $6.96
-69.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.27
$2.08 $2.08
-39.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 R$9.89
$6.10 $6.10
-67.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.81 R$9.01
$6.95 $6.95
-73.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.32 R$6.59
$3.98 $3.98
-66.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 R$6.49
$4.44 $4.44
-70.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.21 R$6.03
$2.81 $2.81
-56.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 R$4.55
$2.51 $2.51
-63.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.43 R$12.11
$19.27 $19.27
-87.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.18 R$40.85
$19.67 $19.67
-58.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 R$6.95
$3.08 $3.08
-54.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 R$9.49
$3.68 $3.68
-48.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.12 R$5.59
$3.02 $3.02
-62.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.4 R$252
$140 $140
-63.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 R$7.56
$3.07 $3.07
-50.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.62 R$8.10
$2.13 $2.13
-23.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.35 R$91.6
$41.21 $41.21
-55.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 R$6.32
$1.11 $1.11
14.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K R$119.1K
$35.0K $35.0K
-31.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.1K R$165.2K
$25.4K $25.4K
30.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 R$518
$217 $217
-52.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.45 R$62.1
$74.0 $74.0
-83.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.68 R$113
$72.5 $72.5
-68.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.14 R$145
$120 $120
-75.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$56.9 R$284
$66.9 $66.9
-14.99%
Cinema Ticket
$9.03 R$45.06
$22.32 $22.32
-59.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$277 R$1,385
$3,425 $3,425
-91.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.4K R$51.9K
$61.2K $61.2K
-83.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.1 R$280
$76.3 $76.3
-26.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.85 R$184
$55.5 $55.5
-33.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.5 R$486
$119 $119
-18.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.1 R$300
$131 $131
-53.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$536 R$2,677
$4,506 $4,506
-88.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$422 R$2,106
$3,155 $3,155
-86.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$988 R$4,933
$8,817 $8,817
-88.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 R$3,547
$5,532 $5,532
-87.16%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,477 R$12.4K
$19.4K $19.4K
-87.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,794 R$8,955
$6,754 $6,754
-73.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santos
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$585 R$2,922
$5,290 $5,290
-88.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.79
6.82
87.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Santos: October 4, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santos
$422
New York, NY
$3.2K 648% $2.7K
Groceries & Markets
Santos
$221
New York, NY
$546 148% $325
Eating Out
Santos
$145
New York, NY
$422 191% $277
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santos
$139
New York, NY
$364 162% $225
Clothing & Footwear
Santos
$113
New York, NY
$172 52.3% $59
Getting Around
Santos
$65
New York, NY
$165 156% $101
Sport & Entertainment
Santos
$47
New York, NY
$165 250% $118

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $536 in Santos versus $4,506 in New York, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 804% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Santos versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $546 – making Santos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Santos
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
08:36 8:36 AM
07:36 7:36 AM
1 h behind Santos
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
418,608
8,804,190
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santos New York, NY 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santos
  • New York, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Santos vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Santos or New York, NY?
New York, NY costs about 354% more than Santos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Santos and in New York, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,698 per month in Santos and $7,714 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Santos or New York, NY?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Santos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Santos and in New York, NY?
Kindergarten costs $277 per month in Santos and $3,425 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Santos or in New York, NY?
Groceries cost about 148% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Santos or in New York, NY?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,132, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Santos or New York, NY?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santos costs $1,132 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Santos or to New York, NY?
If budget matters most, go with Santos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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